What happens if I tee off from outside the teeing area in stroke play?

You get the general penalty — two strokes — and you must correct the mistake by playing a ball from inside the teeing area. The stroke you made from outside doesn't count, and if you don't fix it before starting the next hole (or handing in your card on the last), you're disqualified.

What the rule says

Rule 6.1b(2) is clear: when you start a hole by playing from outside the teeing area — whether that's behind the markers, to the side, or from a completely wrong set of tee markers — you incur the general penalty of two strokes. The ball you hit from the wrong spot is not in play. That stroke, and any further strokes you make with that ball before you correct the error, simply don't count. You have to play a new ball from inside the teeing area, and that's the one that counts.

How to fix it

As soon as you realise the mistake — or a playing partner points it out — drop another ball (or place it, since you're in the teeing area) anywhere inside the correct teeing area and play from there. You're now lying three: the two penalty strokes plus the stroke you're about to make. Any shots you hit with the original ball, including penalty strokes that came solely from playing that ball (like a lost ball or unplayable), are wiped off the scorecard.

The disqualification trap

This is where people get burned. If you don't correct the mistake before you make a stroke to begin the next hole — or, on the final hole, before you return your scorecard — you're disqualified. No second chances, no committee discretion. That's why it's worth a quick glance at the tee markers before you swing, and why you should speak up if you see a playing partner setting up outside them.

Exceptions that change the answer

• Match play (Rule 6.1b(1)) → No penalty. Your opponent may cancel the stroke, but only promptly and before either of you makes another stroke. If they cancel, you replay from inside the teeing area. If they don't, the stroke counts and you play the ball as it lies — even if it's out of bounds, in which case you'd take stroke-and-distance relief from where you played that cancelled stroke.

Frequently asked questions

Does the stroke I hit from outside the teeing area count?

No. The ball played from outside the teeing area is not in play, and that stroke does not count. You must play a ball from inside the teeing area, and only that stroke counts.

What if I hit my second shot from outside the teeing area before realising?

All strokes made with that ball before you correct the mistake don't count. You still just have the two penalty strokes, then you play from inside the teeing area. You're lying three.

Can I just play the ball as it lies and take the two strokes?

No. In stroke play you must correct the mistake by playing from inside the teeing area. Playing the ball as it lies without correcting means you haven't fixed the error, and you'll be disqualified if you start the next hole or return your scorecard.

What if I tee off from the wrong tee markers — like the white tees instead of the yellow ones?

That's still playing from outside the teeing area. Same penalty: two strokes, and you must play a ball from inside the correct teeing area (the yellow markers in your example).

What happens if I don't notice until after I've started the next hole?

You're disqualified. The rule is absolute: you must correct the mistake before making a stroke to begin another hole, or before returning your scorecard on the final hole.